Electric switch mechanism



Jan. 16, 1962 J. E. BANDENIEKS ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Oct. 15, 1.959

3,017,470 ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM Julius Eduards Eandenieks, Ashehoro, N.C., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 847,043 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-64) The present invention relates to a small electrical switch having a novel means for converting reciprocating motion to rotary motion. One advantage of this invention is that it is possible to provide the switch with an actuator that is either of the push-button type or of the V pull-chain type by making only a slight modification. A

further improvement is that there can be a large turning motion of the switching member with only a slight reciprocating motion of the actuating member.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an electric switch with a reciprocating plunger that is capable of supporting and turning a ratchet member in cooperation with the switch contacts.

A further object of this invention is to provide an electric switch with a novel mechanism for converting a reciprocating motion into a rotary motion in the same direction, where the reciprocating motion is slight as compared with the rotary motion.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an electric switch with a reciprocating plunger that carries a rotating ratchet member having a bridging contact so that the plunger may be operated either by a push-button or by a pull-chain member.

The principal feature of my invention is the fact that the switch actuating member or plunger has a transverse pivot pin for rotatably mounting a circular ratchet member. The two fixed contacts of the switch are mounted at the sides of the plunger and in opposition to each other with their free ends terminating adjacent a line drawn through the axis of the pivot pin when the switch is in its normal at-rest position and transversely of the plunger. A current collector or bridging member lies across alternate inclined faces of the ratchetmember for making and breaking the circuit through the two fixed contacts. V

A spring member biases the plunger to its normal position. Once the plunger is moved to compress the spring, one of the fixed contacts engages a riser'which separates two adjacent inclined ratchet steps and thereby rotates the ratchet member through an angle of nearly 30. When the plunger is released and is returned by the spring to its normal at-rest position, the opposite fixed contact will likewise engage a riser to continue the rota tion of the ratchet member in the same direction. Hence the ratchet rotates on both the to and. fro movements of the plunger.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a tiltable pull-lever type switch mechanism embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional elevational view taken on the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view partly in cross-section of the back half of the switch housing of FIG. 1 with the switch mechanism in its normal at-rest position.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. 3 after tension is exerted on the pull-chain to compress the spring of the switch.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the several parts which compiise the switch mechanism of FIG. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 5, there are shown two molded parts 10 and 11 of insulating material which, when assembled together,

Bfilld'ifi Patented Jan. 16, 1962 Bee comprise a hollow switch housing. The upper portion of each housing part 10 and 11 have a semicylindrical extension 12 which together form a nozzle 13 that is externally threaded as at 14 to receive an assembly nut 15, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 'Openings 16 extend through both molded parts 10 and 11 so that suitable rivets 17 may fasten the housing parts together.

The principal member of the switch mechanism is a plunger 20 shown as a thin plate of insulating material that fits into a recess 21 in the housing part 10 and is allowed to reciprocate therein. One edge of the plunger 20 has an outward projection 22 that serves as a guide member for one end of a coil spring 23. This spring presses against the edge of the plunger and extends upwardly into the hollow nozzle 13 to bear against a circular shoulder 24 forming the mouth of the nozzle. Accordingly, the spring 23 normally holds the plunger at the bottom of the switch housing, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The actuating member for the plunger is illustrated as a pull-chain 25 having a hook member 26 at its inner end which extends downwardly through the spring 23 and is engaged in an opening 27 in the projection 22 of the plunger. A bell-shaped metal cap 28 rests on the outer end of the nozzle and is joined to the bead chain 25 at its smallest and outermost end 29 in a well-known manner. The chain may be pulled from any direction and the cap tilted to serve as a lever cooperating with the chain to pull the plunger against the action of the spring 23.

A circular ratchet member 30 of insulating material is mounted on the plunger by a pin 31 that extends through the center of the ratchet member and through an opening 32 in the plunger to be riveted therein. The ratchet member 30 has its working surface on the face of the side that is remote from the plunger 20. This working surface comprises a series of sloping steps 33 which are connected together by risers 34. In the example shown in the drawing, there are eight ratchet steps 33 arranged in a circular fashion around the axis of the pivot pin 31. A bridging contactor 35 covers the alternate ratchet steps 33. This contactor has a hub 36 for cooperation with the pin 31 and four radially extending blades 37. A pair of similar contacts 40 of thin strip material such as Phosphor bronze are mounted in the housing part 10 at opposite sides of the plunger by means of the small terminal rivets 41 extending through the openings 42 of housing part 10. Each contact 40 has a fixed end 43 for cooperation with the rivet 41, an intermediate springing portion, and a free end 44. Lead wires (not shown) are soldered or otherwise fastened to the terminal rivets 41 for joining the switch in an electric circuit. While the contacts 40 are similar, they are mounted in the housing in opposition to each other with the free ends 44 being located on a diametrical axis drawn through the pivot pin 31 of the ratchet 30 when the plunger is in its normal resting position, as shown in FIG. 3.

Now turning to a consideration of FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation of the switch will be discussed in detail. In FIG. 3, the free ends 44 of the contacts at are resting on the opposite blades 37 of the bridging contactor 35 and the switch is in its normal resting position. When tension is applied to the chain 25, the plunger will move upwardly against the downward force of the coil spring 23, and in so doing the riser 34 adjacent the left-hand contact 40 will strike the free end 44 of this contact and tend to remain fixed. However, the ratchet 30 is being carried by the plunger 20 and moves upwardly. This upward movement of the plunger is converted into a counterclockwise movement of the ratchet member. In the meantime, the right-hand contact 40 slips off of the step on which it is resting in FIG. 3 and comes to rest, as

shown in FIG. 4. Once the chain is released, the spring 23 will force the plunger back to its position shown in FlG. 3. However, the riser 34 nearest the right-hand contact 4% of FIG. 4 will strike this contact so that the ratchet member 3% will again turn in a counterclockwise direction as the plunger moves downward. Accordingly, for every upward movement of the plunger the left-hand contact 49 will rotate the ratchet member 30, and for every downward movement of the plunger, the right-hand contact will provide-the ratchet member with a similar movement. The circuit through the switch will be alternately opened and closed upon the actuation of the chain 25.

A modification of the means for actuating the plunger is shown in dotted lines at 50 in FIG. 3. Instead of using the chain 25 and cap 28, it is possible to convert the switch into a push-button switch by providing an opening in the bottom wall of the housing and extending the plunger 20 outward through the opening so that the plunger may be manually controlled. This modification may be made with very little change in the manufacturing tools and at practically no ditference in cost between the two designs.

Having described above my invention of a novel switch mechanism with a reciprocating plunger that carries a rotary ratchet member where the movement of the ratchet is controlled by the movement of the plunger, it should be well recognized by those skilled in this art that this switch is of low cost with a minimum number of simple parts which are easy to manufacture and assemble. All of the switching elements may be assembled to one of the housing halves and the switch completed by adding the other housing part and fastening them together. Certain well-known modifications may be added to my invention such as adding more ratchet steps to reduce the travel of the plunger or to produce a three-position as is used for lamps having two filaments. These modifications of my invention will occur to those skilled in this art and it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric switch comprising a hollow housing, a manually-operated spring-biased plunger Within the housing, a transverse pivot member on the plunger for supporting a circular ratchet member having a series of inclined faces separated by risers, and a current collector mounted across the working face of the ratchet with portions disposed on alternate inclined faces of the ratchet member, and a pair of spring electric contacts each located adjacent the said face of the ratchet and on opposite sides of the pivot member, the innermost end of each contact being opposed to the other and located on a diametrical axis drawn through the said pivot member when the plunger is in its normal resting position so that when the plunger is actuated against the action of the spring one of said contacts will engage an adjacent riser to turn the ratchet member and when the plunger is released and returned by the spring to its normal resting position the other opposing contact will engage the ad jacent riser to continue the turning of the ratchet in the same direction.

2. An electric switch comprising a hollow housing containing a manually-operated spring-biased plunger, a transverse pin carried by the plunger and supporting a circular ratchet member of insulating material having a series of inclined faces joined by risers, and a current carrying contactormounted on the working face of the ratchet with portions disposed on alternate and opposite inclined faces of the ratchet, a pair of spring electric contacts supported in the housing on opposite sides of the plunger, the innermost end of each contact being opposed to the other and located on a diametrical axis drawn through the said pin of the plunger and transverse to the axis along which the plunger moves, this axis being considered when the plunger is in its normal resting position so that the reciprocating movement of the plunger is transformed into the turning movement of the ratchet member to control the switching of the circuits through the switch.

3. An electric switch comprising a hollow housing containing a plunger with a manually-operated extension protruding outwardly from the housing, a spring supported in the housing and bearing against the plunger to normally hold the plunger in an extreme resting position, a transverse member fixed on the plunger and supporting a circular ratchet member which is capable of turning thereon, the ratchet member having a series of inclined faces on its working side, these faces extending in the same direction and being joined to each other by risers, and a bridging contactor mounted on the working face of the ratchet with portions on alternate inclined faces of the ratchet, and a pair of spring electric contacts supported in the housing for making engagement with the bridging contactor, each contact having a free end opposed to the other contact and located on a diametrical axis drawn through the said pin member when the plunger is in its normal resting position, this axis being perpendicular to the axis of movement of the plunger so that when the plunger is moved to compress the spring one contact will engage an adjacent riser of the ratchet member to turn the ratchet and when the plunger is released and returned by the spring to its normal resting position the other opposing contact will engage an adjacent riser to continue the turning of the ratchet in the same direction so that the contacts will be engaging different inclined faces of the ratchet member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,746 Klein Nov. 7, 1916 1,934,320 Nowosielski Nov. 7, 1933 2,823,278 Carlson Feb. 11, 1958 

